Golf Glossary
Raking the Bunker
In short
Raking the bunker means smoothing footprints, club marks and holes in the sand with the rake after you have played from the bunker. It is part of golf etiquette, because every player should leave the course as they would like to find it. Under Rule 12.2 it is permitted, as long as you do not improve the conditions for your own stroke.
What does raking the bunker mean in golf?
A bunker is a specially prepared area of sand, usually a hollow in the ground. Anyone who plays from it leaves marks: footprints, the hollow made by the stroke and often small piles of sand. Raking the bunker means smoothing these marks with the rake that the course provides. It is also called smoothing the bunker.
It is about fairness. The next player should not end up in a predecessor's footprint and lose a stroke because of it. The greenkeepers also save time when players put the sand right themselves.
Raking involves more than a few strokes. The whole track inside the bunker is smoothed: the spot where the ball lay, your stance position and the trail you used to walk in and out. At the end the surface should look so even that the next ball is not thrown off balance.
What do the Rules of Golf say about raking a bunker?
Rule 12.2 covers raking. It distinguishes two situations.
Before the stroke, while your ball is still in the bunker: you may smooth the sand to care for the course, for example in a distant corner. But you must not improve your lie, your stance, your swing or your line of play. If you do, you get the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.
After the stroke, once the ball has left the bunker: you may now smooth the sand without any limit, even if the sand lies on your line of play for the next stroke. If the ball rolls back into the bunker, however, the restrictions apply again. If you take relief outside the bunker, the ball also counts as played out of it, and you may smooth.
Separately, before the stroke you must not touch the sand right in front of or behind the ball with your club. The same applies to practice swings and the backswing. That is a separate part of Rule 12.2 and has nothing to do with raking.
Raking a bunker step by step
This is what to do after playing from a bunker:
- Play your stroke first. Rake the area that affects your stroke only afterwards.
- Take the rake. It usually lies outside, at the edge of the bunker. Some players put it into the bunker beforehand so they need not walk back. That is allowed.
- Smooth the spot of the stroke and your stance first. Fill in any holes.
- Then rake your footprints on the way out. If playing partners still have to play from the bunker, wait until they have played too.
- Draw the rake so that the surface becomes as even as possible. The sand should keep no furrows and no piles.
- Put the rake back. It often lies outside the bunker so it is not in the way by chance.
Leave the bunker at the lowest point of the edge if you can. That keeps the face intact and the sand from sliding back.
A practical example: par 3 with a greenside bunker
You play a par-3 hole of about 140 metres. Your tee shot, stroke 1, lands in the bunker to the left of the green. You can see several marks in the sand. One hollow lies three metres behind the ball and does not affect your stroke. You may smooth it, because that only cares for the course. Marks right behind the ball or in your swing path may not be smoothed before the stroke.
You play out onto the green. That is stroke 2. The ball finishes one metre from the hole. Now you rake your marks straight away so that the bunker is in good order for the next players. Then you sink the putt. That is the third stroke, so par. A sequence like this is called a sand save, because you saved par from the bunker with one putt.
Common mistakes and tips
The same mistakes come up again and again when raking bunkers:
- Raking too early: smoothing the sand behind the ball before the stroke improves your lie. That costs two penalty strokes.
- Testing the sand: touching the sand with hand or club before the stroke to test it is not allowed.
- Leaving the rake behind: many leave it in the bunker. There it can deflect a playing partner's ball. That is annoying but not penalised.
- Raking only the spot of the stroke: smooth the path out of the bunker too. That is often where the deepest marks are.
- Being slow: raking is no time-waster if you do it briskly. Rake on your way out while the others prepare for their strokes.
One tip: if your ball lies against a rake in the bunker, you may remove the rake. It is a movable obstruction under Rule 15.2. If the ball moves, you replace it and play on without penalty.
Raking vs. repairing pitch marks and replacing divots
There are several care duties on the course. They differ by area.
In the bunker you rake the sand. On the green you repair pitch marks. These are dents that a landing ball leaves in the turf. You use a pitch repairer for them. On the fairway you replace divots, the pieces of turf your club has cut out. Or you fill the spot with sand from the container provided.
The rules expressly permit all of this. On the green you may repair damage without it counting as an improvement. In the bunker the sand may be smoothed after the stroke. All three actions serve the course and the pace of play and belong to the basic rules of etiquette that you get to know in the Platzreife course.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can learn how to rake a bunker properly on the Platzreife course at Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg, where rules, etiquette and safety on the course are part of the theory. You can then apply that knowledge on the 9-hole Black course. It has water hazards, bunkers and protected greens and can be played with the DGV Platzreife from April to December. One to four players can be booked per tee time.
Frequently asked questions
What does raking the bunker mean in golf?
Raking the bunker means smoothing footprints, club hollows and holes in the sand with the rake after you have played from it. It is part of golf etiquette and makes sure the next player finds fair conditions. Rule 12.2 allows the smoothing as long as you do not improve your own conditions for the stroke.
May I rake the bunker before my stroke?
Only to a limited extent. You may smooth sand to care for the course, but not if it improves your lie, stance, swing or line of play. If you smooth marks right behind the ball, for example, you get two penalty strokes. Raking after the stroke, once the ball has left the bunker, is safe.
Where do I put the rake after raking?
Usually you leave it outside the bunker, at the edge in a place where it does not affect play. That way it cannot deflect a ball. The rules do not prescribe a fixed spot, but many courses have their own notices. Follow the Local Rules and the club's guidance.
Is there a penalty if I do not rake the bunker?
No, failing to rake is not penalised under the rules. It does go against etiquette. On some courses the Committee reminds players or requires raking through the course regulations. It is also in your own interest: next time you visit, you will find a smooth bunker too.
May I remove a rake in a bunker if my ball lies against it?
Yes. The rake is a movable obstruction under Rule 15.2. You may remove it without penalty. If the ball moves as a result, you replace it on its original spot, also without penalty. The same applies to rakes outside the bunker, for example if the ball comes to rest against a rake at the edge.
As of: October 2026